Gas-engine.



PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

F. ALS EITZ. GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1903.

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F. A. SBITZi' GAS ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1'7, 1903.

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PATENT OFFIC FREDERICK sEITz, oE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION, forming part of Letters Patent .No. 761,613, dated May31, 1904.

Original application filed July 12,1902, Serial No. 115,254. i tNo.139,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. SEITZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at N ewark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and Ido hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will'enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has'reference generally to improvements in explosive gasengines in which gas or vapor, as from gasolene or other gas, isignited, preferably by means of an electric spark, the present inventionbeing a division of my previous application for Letters Patent, filedJuly 12, 1902, Serial No. 115,254.

1 My present invention has for its principal objects to provide adouble-acting reciproeating engine in which the explosions of the gastake place uponopposite ends of a piston formed or provided with atubular throat in which the upper end of a crank-rod is arranged upon 'awrist-pin to thereby greatly simplify the general construction of thisclass of engines by a reduction of operative parts, and, furthermore, toprovide a piston which keeps itself cool and dispensing with the use ofa piston-rod moving in a stuffing-box and its packings, thereby avoidingthe use of these. parts and doing away with the danger of overheatingthe piston-rod and destroying its usefulness, as well as that of thestuffing- .box and its packing, whereby the ordinary explosive anddouble-acting reciprocating gasengine is so often rendered inoperativeor at least very'ineflicient.

Afurther purpose of this invention is to provide, in connection with thecylinder of an explosivegas engine, a hollow or trunk piston, upon theopposite ends of which the explosions take place, the crank-rod of theengine being directly'and operatively connected with a wrist-pin in theinterior portion of the piston.

.The present invention therefore consists in Divided and thisapplication filed January 17, 1903. Serial (No model.) i

the construction of explosive-gas engine hereinafter set forth; and,furthermore, this invention consists in the various arrangements andorganizations of devices and combinations of parts, as well as in thedetails of the construction of the said devices and parts, all of whichwill be more fully set forth in the following description of myinvention andthen finally embodied in the clauses of the claim. The.invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a front elevation of an explosive-gas engine embodying'theprinciples of this invention, a portion of the fly-Wheel'beingrepresented in vertical section; and Fig. i

2 is a side view of the engine'looking in the direction of'the arrow win said Fig. 1, with the fly-wheel omitted and the main shaft or axle ofthe engine represented in transverse vertical section. .Fig. 3 is avertical repre sentatio-n, on anenlarged scale, of the cylinder of theengine and a portion of the supporting -frame, illustrating inconnection therewith the hollow'or trunk piston and a manner ofconnecting the crank-rod to'said piston. Fig; 4e is'a face view of asparking device used in connection'with the cylinder and a contactmaking and breaking device'at the side of the cylinder; and Fig. '5 is avertical section of the said sparking device, taken on line 5 5 in saidFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top or plan view of the engine. Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section taken 'onfline '7 7 in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a horizontalsection taken online 8 8 in said Fig. 3 and Fig. 9 is a similar sec tiontaken on line 9- 9 in'said Fig. 3, the valveoperating mechanism havingbeen omitted from said three Figs. 7,8, and 9.

Similar characters of reference are 'em-' ployed in all of the saidabove-described views toindi'cate'corresponding parts.

.Rferring now to the said drawings, the referen'ce character 1 indicatesthe complete engine, and 2 the cylinder of the same. This cylinder, aswill be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3 of the drawings, is open atboth ends, the upper end being closed by means of a suitable cover 3,secured upon the end of the cylinder by means of bolts 4 or in any otherusual manner. The lower open end of the cylinder has secured thereto bymeans of bolts 6 or in any other suitable manner a cover 5, which isprovided with a suitably-disposed guide or bearing 7 for the receptionof a flanged or other suitably-constructed sleeve 8. Between a shoulder10 of the said cover 5 and. the upper marginal edge of the said sleeve 8there may be a suitable arrangement of packingrings- 9. Depending fromthe said cover 5 are a pair of suitably-constructed half-shells 11,formed with perforated flanges 12 for the reception of bolts 13, bymeans of which the two half-shells can be secured together to provide achamber 14, in which a main or crank shaft 15 and other connecting partsof the engine are movably arranged. The said cylinder 2 may also beprovided with bracket-like supporting members 17, by means of which theengine is secured in its operative position in the body of a vehicle orupon a suitable supporting-frame when the engine is used as a stationaryengine. As will be seen from an inspection of said Fig. 3, the upperinternal portion 18 of said cylinder 2 is made slightly smaller than thelower internal portion 19 of the cylinder, the purpose of which will bemore particularly specified in the following description. The walls ofsaid cylinder are cored to form an annular chamber 20, and in a likemanner the lower cover4 and its guide or bearing=7 is cored to providean annular chamber 21. The purpose of this is that a cooling medium maybe fed by means of a pipe 22 into said chamber 21 and then by means of apipe 23 into the chamber 20, whereby the movable parts within the saidguide or hearing 7 and the cylinder 2 during the explosions are keptperfectly cool. A complete circulation of the cooling medium is thusmaintained through the said guide or bearing 7 and the cylinder 2, themedium passing from the chamber of the cylinder through an outlet orpipe 24, connected with a, chambered part in the upper cover 3,substantially as illustrated.

The piston of, the engine consists, essentially, of a hollow member ortrunk 25, having its upper end closed, as at 26, and having annulargrooves in which are suitably-disposed packing-rings 27, adapted to moveupon the inner cylindrical surface of the reduced portion. 18 of thecylinder 2 during the reciprocatory movements of the piston. The lowerend portion of "said piston 25 is enlarged, as at 28,.the said enlargedportion being also provided with a set of annular grooves in which arearranged certain packing-rings 29, this said enlarged part 28 of thepiston being movably arranged in the enlarged lower portion 19 of thecylinder 2. Connected with and extending in a downward direction fromthe said sleeve 8, the throat 30 being provided in its tubular part witha wrist-pin 31, to which is secured the upper end of the crank-rod 32 ofthe engine. Thus it will be evident that while the chambers 20 and 21are kept perfectly cool by the introduction of a cooling medium into thesame air will at all times enter through the throat 30 into the interioror trunk portion of the piston 25, thereby keeping the same perfectlycool. It will also be evident that by this manner of attaching thecrank-rod to the wrist-pin in the throat of the piston a stufling-boxand the usual connecting-rod moving through said box, which ingas-engines of this character are subject to deteriorating influences ofthe heat and explosive gases produced in the lower portion of thecylinder, are entirely dispensed with. The said piston 25 may also beprovided with a suitable arrangement of holes or perforations 33,through which air can pass from the interior of the piston into thatportion of the enlarged part 19 of the cylinder 2,. so as to cushion thesaid piston during its upward stroke when the annular shoulder 34 of thepiston arrives near the inner annular shoulder 35 within the cylinder 2.

The main or crank shaft 15 previously mentioned is rotatively arrangedin bearings 36, connected with said half-shells 11, and is provided witha fly-wheel 37. Each half-shell 11 may also be provided with an openingnormally closed by a cover 38, which can be removedto permit of theinspection of the parts of the engine which are placed in the saidchamber 14, formed by the said half-shells.

As will be noticed from an inspection of the several figures of thedrawings, the upper portion of the cylinder 2 is made with a pair ofoppositely-extending valved members 39 and 40, respectively providedwith the open parts 41 and 42, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. In likemanner the lower portion of the cylinder 2 is made with a pair ofoppositely-extending valved members 43 and 44, respectively providedwith the openings 45 and 46, as illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings.The said valved members 39, 40, 43, and 44 are each provided with asuitable valve-seat 47 and a guide 48, and movably arranged within eachguide 48 is a valve-stem 49, provided at one end with a valve-disk 50and at the opposite end with a nut 51 and spring 52, the purpose of saidsprings 52 being to force the respective valve-disks normally in theirclosing relation with the valve-seats of the respective valve members39, 40, 43, and 44. The upper and lower valve members 39 and 43, whichact, respectively, as gas-inlets or inlet-valves to the upper portion 18and the lower portion 19 of the cylinder 2, are suitably connected bymeans of a suitably-constructed inlet tube or duct 53, into which leadsa valved tube or member 54, with which is connected a gas pipe or duct55, coming from a carbureter 01 any suitable construction. The valveinthis tube or member (not shown herein) is of any suitable and well-knownconstruction and can be set by means of a hand-lever 56 for varying thesupply of the gas or vapor, as may be desired. The flow of the gas orvapor through said valved tube or member'54 may also be maintainedconstant by means of an ordinary butterfly=valve 57, which is actuatedby a crank 58 and a rod 59, pivotally connected with said crank 58. Thisrod 59 extends ina downward direction'and is niovably arranged in a pairof guides or bearings 60, as shown, the lower end of said rod 59 beingforced in sliding contact, preferably by means of a spring 61 and undernormal conditions,with the circular portion 63 of a laterally-movabledisk or collar 62 on the main shaft or crank-axle 15. This disk orcollar 62 is made with a chambered portion 64, in which there is aspring 65, the said spring acting by compression against a plate 66 andthe inner part of said chambered portion 64 to normally force or retainthe said disk or collar 62 in the position indicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. As soon as the speed of the engine increases beyond the speeddesired a pair of governor-balls 67, which are pivotally connected withthe fly-wheel, as shown, will move in an outward direction, whereby apair of arms or fingers 68 are forced against the inner end of thedisk'or sleeve 62, and thereby move the latter in the directionindicated by the arrow y in said Fig. 1. A cam-shaped shoulder or flange69 is thereby brought beneath the lower end of the rod 59, and thebutterfly-valve 57 is automatically closed. The supply of the explosivegas or.

vapor being'thus shut out from the inlet-valves of the engine, the speedof the engine decreases, and the balls 67 assuming their normallylowered positions the arms or fingers 68 are withdrawn from their activeengagement with the end of the disk or sleeve 62. The spring immediatelyreturns the said disk or sleeve 62 to its initial normal positionsindicated in said Fig. 1,"with the lower end of the rod 59 again ridingupon the circular portion 63 of the disk or sleeve 62. The valve 57 isthus again brought in its open position in the tube or member 54, andthe inflow of the explosive mixture is permitted. In this manner thesupply of the explosive mixture or vapor to either end of the cylinderand piston-therein is controlled automatically and maintained constantto cause the engine to run at a uniform speed.

The upper and lowervalve members 40 and 44, which act, respectively, asthe exhausts or gas-outlets for the exploded mixture, are suitablyconnected by means of a pipe or duct 7 O, substantially in themann'erillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The respective valve-disks in the respective valve-chambers 39, 40, 43,and 44 are each independently actuated and raised from their Irespective valve-seats by a set of independent slides 71 of any suitableconstruction, each slide moving in a guide 72, secured to the front ofthe cylinder 2 and having a roller 73 inits lower forked end 74. A shortstud 75 upon a suitable portion of each slide 71 and a spring 76,attached to the stud and a portion of the guide 72, retains each slidein its operative position in the respective guides 72. Rotativelyarranged in bearings 77 is a spindle 78, this spindle being providedwith a requisite number of properly-set cams 79, which during the rotarymotions of the spindle 78 are successively and properly brought inoperative engagement with the respective rollers 73, whereby therespective slides 71 are moved in their guides 72 and whereby theseveral inlet and exhaust valves are properly actuated to admit theexplosive mixture at the proper time and in the proper direction eitherabove or beneath the piston and at the same time cause the properexhaustion or withdrawal of the gas fromthe exploded mix' ture. Toproduce the rotary motion of the said spindle 7 8,1 have provided theone end of said spindle with a worm 80, with which is in mesh a pinion81. This pinion 81 is secured upon the upper end of a rod 82 and has aworm-wheel 83 at its lower end, which in turn is driven from a pinion 84on the end of the main shaft or crank-axle 15 of the engine. Theigniting or sparking device, which is secured, preferably, to the sideof the cylinder 2, may be of any suitable construction, the sameconsisting, essentially, of a plate 85, of

insulating material, provided with four bind- Connected with therespective posts 86 and 87 is a pair of spring-contacts and 91, andconnectedwith the respective posts 88 and 89 is another pair ofspring-contacts 92 and 93. The binding-post 86 has attached thereto awire 94, which leads to a sparking coil 95. I a battery 97, leads fromsaid coil 95 by means of circuits 9698 to the post 87. wires 99 100 fromthe coil 95 are connected to a jumpv sparking device 101 upon the upperportion of the engine-cylinder to cause the explosion of the gasolenemixture above the piston at. the proper time, when an electric circuitis completed by means of the contacts 90 and 91, through the post 87wires 98 and 96, through battery 87 or other source of electricalenergy, and wire 94 to said sparking coil 95, as represented in Fig. 1of. the

drawings. The binding-post 88 has attached thereto a wire 102, which isconnected with the wire 94, that leads to the coil 95. The cir-.

A second wire 96, in which there is Circuitcuit is completed throughsaid coil 95, the

wire 96, and battery 97 by means of the wire 103 to post 89. Connectedwith the respective wires 100 and 99 of the coil 95 are the wires 104and105, which lead to a sparking stud 105 upon the lower portion of thecylinder2to cause the explosion of the gaseous mixture beneath thepiston.- at the proper time, when an electric circuit is established bymeans of the contacts 88 and 89, through the post 93, wires 103 and 96,through the battery 97 or other source of electrical energy, and thewires 94 102 to the said sparking coil 95, as clearly illustrated insaid Fig. 1. The electrical contacts between the spring-contacts 90 and91 and between the spring contacts 91 and 93 'are successively made bymeans of a sleeve 106 on the spindle 78 and which rotates the same, thesaid sleeve 106 being provided with a pair of differently-spacedprojections 107, which are respectively brought in lifting engagementwith the spring-contacts 91 and 93 to complete the electrical circuitsthrough the various parts and devices in the manner and for the purposeshereinabove described.

The many advantages of my present invention and the operations of thevarious parts of the engine will be fully understood from the abovedescription and need not, therefore, be described in detail herein.

Of course it will be evident that various changes may be made in theseveral arrangements of the devices and parts, as well as in the detailsof the construction thereof, without departing from the scope of mypresent invention. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exactarrangements and combinations of the device and parts as described inthe previous specification and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings; nor do I confine myself to the exact details of theconstructions of any of the said parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In anexplosive-gas engine, the combination, with a cylinder having an upperreduced portion 18 and a lower enlarged portion 19 forming an annularshoulder 35, of a hollow piston in said cylinder having its upper endmovably arranged in said reduced portion 18,

and provided with an enlarged part 28 movably arranged in said enlargedportion 19 of the cylinder, said piston being provided with openings 33,the said openings being arranged in the piston to admit a portion of airin the space between the piston and cylinder, the said openings duringthe upward stroke of the piston being cut off by the cylinder toimprison the air between the shoulders formed by the enlarged parts ofthe cylinder and the piston to produce a cushioning effect, a crankrod,and means for operatively connecting one end of said crank-rod in thehollow portion of said piston, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. In an explosive-gas engine, the combination, with a cylinder, havingan upper reduced portion 18 and a lower enlarged portion 19 forming anannular shoulder 35, of a hollow piston in said cylinder having itsupper end movably arranged in said reduced portion 18, and provided withan enlarged part 28 movably arranged in said enlarged portion 19 of thecylinder, said piston being provided with openings 33, the said openingsbeing arranged in the piston to admit a portion of air in the spacebetween the piston and cylinder, the said openings during the upwardstroke of the piston being cut ofi by the cylinder to imprison the airbetween the shoulders formed by the enlarged parts of the cylinder andthe piston to produce a cushioning effect, a tubular throat connectedwith said piston, a crankrod, and means for operatively connecting oneend of said crank-rod in said tubular throat, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. In an.explosive-gas engine, the combinati0n,with a cylinder having anupper reduced portion 18 and a lower enlarged portion 19 forming anannular shoulder 35, of a hollow piston in said cylinder having itsupper end movably arranged in said reduced portion 18, and provided withan enlarged part 28 movably arranged in said enlarged portion 19 of thecylinder, said piston being provided with openings 33, the said openingsbeing arranged in the piston to admit a portion of air in the spacebetween the piston and cylinder, the said openings during the upwardstroke of the piston being cut off by the cylinder to imprison the airbetween the shoulders formed by the enlarged parts of the cylinder andthe piston to produce a cushioning effect, a tubular throat connectedwith said piston, a crankrod, and a wrist-pin in said tubular throatwith which one end of said crank-rod isoperatively connected,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In an explosive-gas engine, the combination, with a cylinder havingan upper reduced portion 18 and a lower enlarged portion 19 forming anannular shoulder 35, of a hollow piston in said cylinder having itsupper end. movably arranged in said reduced portion 18, and providedwith an enlarged part 28 movably arranged in said enlarged portion 19 ofthe cylinder, said piston being provided with openings 33, the saidopenings being arranged in the piston to admit a portion of air in thespace between the piston and cylinder, the said openings during theupward stroke of the piston being cut off by the cylinder to imprisonthe air between the shoulders formed by the enlarged parts of thecylinder and the piston to produce acushioning effect, a lower cover onsaid cylinder, a guide in said cover, and a sleeve in said guide, atubular throat con- .nected with said piston movably arranged in saidguide and sleeve, a crank-rod, and means for operatively connecting oneend of said crank-rod in said tubular throat, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. In an explosive-gas engine, the combination, with a cylinder havingan upper reduced the cylinder, said piston being provided with openings33, the said openings being arranged in the piston to admit a portion ofair in the space between the piston and cylinder, the said openingsduring the upward strokeof the piston being cut off by the cylinder toimprison the air between the shoulders formed a by the enlarged parts ofthe cylinder and the piston to produce a cushioning effect, a lowercover on said cylinder, a guide in said cover, and asleevein said guide,atubular throat connected with said piston movably arranged in saidguide and sleeve, a crank -rod, and a wrist-pin-in said tubular throatwith which one end of said crank-rod is operatively connected,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set" forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 12th day of January, 1903. a 1

- 7 FREDERICK A. SEITZ. Witnesses: 1 FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL,

GEO. D. RICHARDS.

